Word: catalyst (noun)

Associations

A catalyst is something or someone that causes a change or an event to happen faster or more easily. It is often used in science, especially chemistry, but also in everyday life to describe things that speed up a process without being changed themselves.

• In chemistry: A catalyst helps a chemical reaction happen faster without being used up. For example, enzymes in your body act as catalysts to speed up digestion.
• In everyday life: A new law can be a catalyst for social change, meaning it helps change happen more quickly.
• In business: A good leader can be a catalyst for innovation, encouraging new ideas and progress.

Synonym: "trigger" can be similar but usually means something that starts an action directly, while a catalyst helps the process but may not start it immediately.

Substitution

Other words or phrases you could use instead of "catalyst" include:

• trigger (more immediate cause)
• spark (something that starts a reaction or event)
• stimulus (something that causes activity or growth) Using these changes the meaning slightly. For example, "trigger" suggests a direct start, while "catalyst" suggests speeding up or enabling change.

Deconstruction

The word "catalyst" comes from Greek:

• "kata-" means "down" or "against"
• "lysis" means "loosening" or "breaking apart" Together, it means something that helps break down or change something else.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you were a catalyst for change in a group or project?
• What are some catalysts in nature or society that you know about?
• How is a catalyst different from a cause? Can something be a cause but not a catalyst?